Portraits in Courage: Paul Koretz Edition

Paul Koretz isn’t known for always making good decisions. Here he grabs a sombrero and bandana to answer questions because he was in a Mexican restaurant. Still from a Question and Answer session with the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association.

There’s been a lot of controversy about Paul Koretz’ decision to pull the plug on a study of a floating bike lane for Westwood Boulevard, even though he had previously promised a full study before making a decision. Now, via the Daily Bruin we have an explanation for his decision.

“I looked at the issue and heard a firestorm of opposition from the community,” Koretz said. “I decided at the end of the day that regardless of what the study reported, it would be unlikely that I would support it.”

I can’t help but wonder what other decisions the Councilmember might make if there were enough community opposition before having all of the facts. Selling out the safety of cyclists along a particularly dangerous stretch of road was easy enough. If you have any ideas on where the ceiling is for Koretz caving, please let us know in the comments section.

Let me translate this for you all, “I looked at the people who wanted bike lanes and I didn’t see more than a half dozen registered voters nor people who will be here for my reelection. So, to those people I would like to say, ‘Screw you.’ Thank you all for coming out here tonight and showing me that baby boomers stuck in underwater condos and WWII-era home owners will keep Westwood sinking into the mire of mid-20th century stupidity.”

ubrayj02

If the UCLA campus got 100 students and faculty to form a pro-lane voting block, they could swing the next election.

The “community” he refers to–read the WSSM HOA leadership–clearly despises the surrounding UCLA population that uses “their” street. And they apparently have a direct line to Koretz.

The fact that some of the most interested bike lane supporters are UCLA affiliated means anything we say, no matter how reasonable, will be automatically ignored by them.

How can we become a louder voice than they are?

james

Is there anything left of his office after suffering a firestorm? The “community” apparently took time out from pearl clutching to douse themselves in napalm and hurl themselves out of B-17s onto his office. Isn’t that a bit extreme? The “community” must really hate UCLA, the massive CBD next door all anyone who works there and doesn’t want to take a non-existent parking space.

Calla Wiemer

Only 10% of homeowners in the neighborhood are members of the WSSM HOA. No renters are members. The leadership of this organization has put out a lot of misinformation to mobilize a base of people who fear change in any form. Plenty of folks in the neighborhod ride bikes, they just aren’t organized and informed on the issue. Beyond that, think of all the people in CD5 who ride bikes or are otherwise favorably disposed to complete streets. Those who support bike lanes need to organize a counterforce. And the movement should be about more than just bike lanes. It should be about making Westwood Blvd a Great Street.